Street-sweeping machine.



J. A. CUNNINGHAM.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY9,1913.

1,088,651 Patented Feb. 24, 191L 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA .PLANouRAPI-l cm, WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. A. CUNNINGHAM.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYQ, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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awue/wboz JZA Guwnwlnyham (I. A. CUNNINGHAM.

STREET SWEBPING MACHINE,

APPLIOATIONV FILED JULY 9,1913.

I Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

q/vi lmcomo COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASIHNCITON, D. cv

lUNlTE JAMES A. CUNNINGHAM, OF SAN IVJIARGIAL, NEVT MEXICO.

S'IBEET-SWEEPING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. CUNNING HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Marcial, in the county of Socorro and State of New Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street- Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in street sweeping machines and has particular application to a machine of the class described whereby the dirt and refuse may be removed from the surface of a roadway and subsequently carted away.

In carrying out the present invention, 1t is my purpose to provide a street sweeping machine whereby the dirt and refuse may be effectively removed from the surface of a street or roadway and subsequently delivered into a receptacle so that such refuse may be carried away, water or the like being sprinkled into the receptacle during the sweeping operation so as to keep down the dust.

It is also my purpose to provide a street sweeping machine which will embody among other features a wheeled body or vehicle and a receptacle mounted for swinging movement within the body and carrying a conveyor and a brush, the brush being located at the rear of the receptacle and designed to contact with the surface of the roadway so as to throw the refuse onto the conveyor, the latter carrying the dirt into the receptacle and depositing the same therein, means being provided for swinging the receptacle whereby the brush may be moved into and out of Contact with the ground when desired.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a street sweeping machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the machine. Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view therethrough. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective View, showing the means for raising and lowering the re ccptacle. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24,1914.

Serial No. 778,172.

Referring now to the accompanying draw ings in detail, the numeral 1 designates a wheeled vehicle composed, in the present instance, of longitudinal side bars 2, 2 and transverse end bars 3, 3 connecting the side bars and forming therewith a substantially rectangular frame or body. Connected to the forward part of the body or frame through the medium of a fifth wheel 1 is a forward axle 5 carrying the pilot wheel 6, while suitably secured to the rear end of the body is the back axle 7 carrying the ground wheels 8. In the present instance, this vehicle is designed to be drawn by draft ani mals and for this purpose is provided with a pole 9. It will be understood, however, that the vehicle may be otherwise propelled as, for instance, by a gasolene engine.

The numeral 10 designates a substantially rectangular receptacle of a length shorter than that of the frame of the vehicle and pivoted adjacent to its top edge and for ward end between the longitudinal side bars 2, 2 of the vehicle for swinging movement. This receptacle is equipped with a hinged or drop bottom 11 disposed in proximity to the surface of the roadway or street over which the vehicle is traveling, while the rear end of such receptacle is provided with a transverse opening 12 adjacent to the bottom. Projecting outwardly from the end walls of the opening 12 are alining bearing brackets 13 in which is journaled for rotary movement the shaft let of a sweeper or brush 15.

Extending into the receptacle and secured to the top wall of the slot 12 is a shield or guard 16 curved in cross section to conform to the curvature of the brush, while a dust pan 17 is suitably secured to the lower wall of the slot and has one longitudinal edge thereof projecting outwardly of the casing below the brush and the opposite edge extended into the casing so that as the brush revolves the refuse on the surface of the roadway will be carried upon the dust pan and subsequently delivered to the receptacle.

In order that the refuse delivered into the receptacle will be conveyed to the forward end thereof so that the receptacle may be filled to its capacity, I employ an endless conveyer composed, in the present instance, of drums 18, 18 carried upon shafts 19, 19 journaled in the opposite side walls of the receptacle and suitably spaced apart, and an endless belt 20 trained over said drums and designed to receive the refuse from the dust pan and carry the same toward the forward end of the receptacle.

Journaled in horizontally alining bearings carried by the upper longitudinal edges of the side bars 2, 2 of the wheeled vehicle is a shaft 21 equipped adjacent to its opposite ends with laterally projecting arms 22, 22 connected through the medium of chains 23 with the upper surface of the rectangular receptacle adjacent to the rear end of the latter. Gne end of the shaft 21 is equipped with a depending crank arm 2 to the free end of which is pivotally secured one end of a rod lying in parallelism with the adjacent side bar of the frame or body and having the forward end thereof secured to an operating lever 26 fulcrumed as at 27 upon the vehicle frame. By means of this construction, it will be seen that when the operating lever 26 is swung in a rearward direction a sliding movement will be imparted to the rod so that the shaft 21 will be rotated within its bearings and the arms 22, 22 on said shaft elevated with the effect to swing the rectangular receptacle upwardly so as to move the brush out of contact with the surface of the roadway. On the other hand, when the lever is moved in a forward direction, the crank arm 2% is actuated to rotate the shaft 21 and so lower the arms 22, 22 whereby the receptacle will be permitted to swing to its lower position under the action of gravity, the brush engaging the road surface.

To lay the dust within the receptacle, I employ a nozzle 28 carried by the top wall of the receptacle 10 and depending into the latter and connected through the medium of a hose 29 with a water tank 30 carried by a platform 31 suitably fastened to the side bars 2, 2 of the vehicle frame, such tank being provided with a filling opening 32. The hose 29 is preferably equipped with a valve 3-3 whereby communication between the tank and the interior of the receptacle 10 may be cut off when conditions warrant. The top of the receptacle 10 is equipped with a hinged closure 34: whereby access may be had to the interior of the receptacle when desired.

Pivotally mounted upon a bracket 35 carricd by the receptacle 10 is a control lever 36 having the lower end thereof equipped with a horizontal arm 37 connected through the medium of a wire 38 or the like with the hinged bottom 11 of the receptacle 10. This control lever is movable over a segment 39 and equipped with a locking dog 40 so that the lever may be locked against movement after the bottom has been swung to open or closed position.

In the present instance, the driving mechanism of the machine comprises a bevel gear 4L1 secured to the inner side of one of the rear ground wheels 8 concentrically of the axle andmeshes with a pinion a2 carried upon one end of a shaft @Kjournaled in suitable bearings carried by the adjacent side bar of the frame. Suitably fastened to the forward end of the shaft 4:?) is a bevel pinion et'with which meshes a bevel gear f5 carried upon the adjacent end of a shaft to journaled within horizontally alining bearings carried by the lower ends of swinging arms at pivotally connected to the opposite side bars of the frame. This shaft d6 extends transversely of the frame and the free end thereof is equipped with a sprocket wheel 48, while fast upon one end of the forward shaft 19 of the endless conveyer is a sprocket wheel 49 and over the sprocket wheels 48 and i9 is trained an endless chain 50. A link 51 has one end pivo-tally secured to one of the arms 4.? and the opposite end likewise connected to the lower extremity of a control lever 52 pivoted'between its ends and disposed within convenient reach of the operator of the machine. By means of this construct-ion, it will be seen that when the lever 52 is swung in one direction, the arms 47 will be actuated to swing the shaft 46 whereby the bevel gear will be moved out of engagement with the pinion 4 f, while when the lever is swung in the o1 posite direction, the bevel gear will be moved into engagement with the pinion, the chain being more or less slack in order to permit thismovement of the shaft. it is conceivable, however, that other means may be employed for placing the shaft 43 in and out of driving engagement with the conveyor and such is contemplated by me. Upon the end of the shaft 46 with the sprocket wheel 48 is a belt pulley 53, while upon the end of the brush shaft 19 is a similar wheel 54 and over the belt wheels 53 and 54: is trained an endless belt 55 by means of which motion is transmitted from the shaft 4-6 to the brush so as to rotate the latter in the travel of the vehicle.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing my invention will be readily apparent.

It will be seen that I have provided a street sweeping machine whereby the brush and the dust receptacle carrying such brush may be elevated and lowered so as to move the brush out of and into contact with the surface of the roadway over which the vehicle is traveling, while the dust within the receptacle is kept down. Furthermore, it will be noted that the receptacle carrying the brush, the drop bottom of such receptacle and the driving connections for the brush and conveyer are under the complete control of the operator of the vehicle.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1.. A street sweeping machine comprising a body, a receptacle mounted for swinging movement within said body, a conveyer carried by said receptacle, a brush carried by the rear end of said receptacle and designed to contact with the surface of the roadway and throw the refuse onto said conveyer, means for swinging said receptacle relatively to said body whereby the brush may be moved into and out of contact with the ground, and means for driving said brush and conveyer.

2. A street sweeping machine comprising a body, a receptacle mounted for swinging movement within said body, a conveyer carried by said receptacle, a brush carried by the rear end of said receptacle and designed to contact with the surface of the roadway and throw the refuse onto said conveyor, means for swinging said receptacle relatively to said body whereby the brush may be moved into and out of contact with the ground, and means for driving said brush and conveyer from one of the ground wheels of the vehicle.

3. A street sweeping machine comprising a body, a receptacle mounted for swinging movement within said body, a conveyer carried by said receptacle, a brush carried by the rear end of said receptacle and designed to contact with the surface of the roadway and throw the refuse onto said conveyer, means for swinging said receptacle relatively to said body whereby the brush may be moved into and out of contact with the ground, means for driving said brush and conveyer from one of the ground wheels of the vehicle, and means controlling the driving connections between the respective ground wheel and said brush and conveyer whereby said brush and conveyer may be thrown into and out of service.

at. A street sweeping machine comprising a body, a receptacle mounted for swinging movement Within said body, a conveyer carried by said receptacle, a brush carried by the rear end of said receptacle and designed to contact with the surface of the roadway and throw the refuse onto said conveyer, a dust pan carried by said receptacle and in tel-posed between said brush and conveyer, means for swinging said receptacle whereby the brush may be moved into and out of contact with the ground, and means for driving said brush and conveyer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. CUNNINGHAM.

Witn esses R. N. Arms, S. M. BISHOP.

(lopies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratcntl, Washington, D. G." 

